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December 2018 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

The holidays are upon us, but there’s still plenty happening in Alabama’s political scene, including several recent key staff announcements:

Governor Kay Ivey makes staff appointments. Governor Ivey announced that former Congressman Jo Bonner would serve in her administration as senior advisor. Bonner represented the 1st Congressional District in southwest Alabama from 2003 to 2013. The governor also announced that Kelly Butler would be state finance director. He has been Acting Finance Director since August. Butler has more than three decades experience as a fiscal analyst with the state. His previous jobs include assistant finance director for fiscal operations and state budget officer.

Marsh taps new chief of staff. Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh recently announced that he has chosen Derek Trotter, a government relations advisor to the Butler Snow law firm and former director of legislative affairs to former Governor Robert Bentley, to be his chief of staff. Trotter previously served as Marsh’s communications director from 2011 to 2014 and as a deputy communications director to U. S. Representative Bradley Byrne during his run for governor in 2009 and 2010. Trotter is a native of Trussville and a graduate of Auburn University. He is married and the father of two and lives in the Pike Road Township, just outside Montgomery.

Shelby’s Chief of Staff chosen to lead BCA. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, recently announced the departure of his chief of staff, Katie Boyd Britt, following the official notice of her decision to serve as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), a non-partisan business association representing companies throughout the state. Britt is a native of Enterprise. She’s served as chief of staff to Senator Shelby since 2016, following her role as deputy campaign manager and communications director during the senator’s most recent reelection campaign. Britt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a law degree from the University of Alabama.

Check out the full list of recent House Committee appointments made by the Speaker. House Standing Committees with Chairs and Vice Chairs listed: